Searching For Friends
by Space Acer
Summary: Everyone is gone...
1. Prologue

**Title:** Searching For Friends  
**Rating:** M, for Mature  
**Disclaimer:** I own nothing you recognize.  
**Summary:** Everyone is gone…  
**Notes: **I have no idea how this story will pan out. If you think I should keep writing it, read and review, let me know what you think. In this chapter, Randy Orton gets reacquainted with Lita, but something is a little off.

_-Prologue-_

He awoke to the pitter-patter of cold, leaky pipes dripping driblets of water down to the cracked tiled floor. His eyes forced their way open, slowly but surely regaining their sight. What happened? Why did it feel like he'd been asleep for ages? Was it a drug that paralyzed him? He could feel his head pounding fiercely and a rhythmic ringing in his ears… Something was wrong… this wasn't normal.

"Where…am I?" he pondered to himself as he scanned the area. It was a hospital room. He could tell from the number of plastic cases filled with antiseptics and band aids spilled all over the floor. But, why the mess? This place looked like a tornado had gone through it.

The young man lifted himself up from the hospital bed he'd been lying on. What was he doing on it in the first place? Did he have some sort of accident? Was he even… alive? The lighting in the room was very dim, darkness filling almost every corner. He looked towards the open doorway. There was a hall leading right outside of it. He let his feet touch the ground, the feeling of the wet surface now beneath him. The place looked as if it were destroyed in a war. As he stepped outside into the hallway he noticed that parts of the walls had gigantic holes in them and that the ceiling lights kept flickering on and off. It all seemed like a bad dream. The overwhelming feeling of pandemonium and confusion started to take its toll, his eyes widened in terror and paranoia. Where was he going? Was there anyone else here?

Just when he began to think that all life on Earth had vanished except for himself, a human-like figure emitted from the shadowy end of the corridor. From where he stood he could only make out that it was a woman with rubescent colored hair and a rather loose-fitting sash hanging around her waist.

"Wait!" he called desperately as the woman turned away, disappearing around the corner. He tried his best to run after her, but his legs felt like they were being weighed down by cinder blocks—like he was running in quick sand or in slow motion. He kept following her trail, soon leading him to a small lobby waiting area. Everything was destroyed. The filing cabinets behind the help counter were tipped over, tons of papers nestled on the ground. What happened here? Was this building under attack? Were there any other survivors? Who was that woman?

He took a few steps forward, heading for the exit. He could see outside now, the air looking very thick and gray. It looked as if it had been raining for days and the clouds had descended to level with the ground. There were too many thoughts going through his mind at that moment—too many questions. Then suddenly, a voice.

"What are you doing here?"

The young man quickly turned around to see the woman he'd been pursuing down the hall. The faint lighting in the building and inside the room still covered most of the woman's features. She advanced gradually, the light from the outside uncovering more of her visage. The woman had brown-hazel eyes and a rosy colored mesh mask covering the lower part of her face, like a gypsy. He studied her carefully, the woman becoming vaguely familiar to him as she came closer to the exit doors.

"I don't… know. I just woke up… and I don't know what I'm doing here… I don't even know where here is…"

The woman tilted her head a bit, a confused look on her face. "Tell me your name," she said to him.

_ !!!_

Randy… are you okay…?

!!!  


She looked at him awkwardly. His face had stopped suddenly and his eyes had grown large like he'd seen a ghost.

"It's… Randy," he finally replied shakily, almost thinking he'd forgotten his own name. Everything felt like a huge blur, everything seemed out of focus. "Who are you…?" he asked curiously.

The woman stepped closer to him, now completely revealed by light coming from the outside. Randy's jaw dropped, now sure of who this woman had reminded him of—the long red hair, the hazel eyes…"You're… Lita!"


	2. A Face Unforgotten

**Title:** Searching For Friends  
**Rating:** M, for Mature  
**Disclaimer:** I own nothing you recognize.  
**Summary:** Everyone is gone…  
**Notes: **Thanks to _justagirl8225_, _tiears_, and _together_ for the wonderful first reviews. This next chapter picks up exactly where the first one left off.

_-A Face Unforgotten-_

"What are you doing here Orton…?"

"I don't know…" the Legend Killer replied, wrapping his arms around his knees, shivering uncontrollably. "I don't know anything… anymore."

The redhead had just gotten out of the shower, only to find Randy Orton sitting in the corner of the Women's dressing room, miserably mumbling to himself. "Well… you better leave," Lita warned him, now making her way to her locker. "Some women won't be so lax as I am when they are coming out of the shower and are greeted by a man… you, no less."

Randy looked up at her, his lips quivering, his blue eyes glassy from crying. "Why… did this have to happen to me? I have no one now… no friends."

Lita shook her head, pitying him. She didn't hate him, but on the same token she didn't love him, either. In fact, she really disliked him—for all of his antics in Evolution—for all the harassing cat calls—for everything he ever stood for. "You deserved it," she commented boldly, stuffing her elbow pads into her bag, going amongst her business. "Why me? Listen to yourself—you're pathetic Orton…! You stood behind those idiots all of this time and now you have the audacity to feel sorry for yourself? I hope that World title was worth it…"

…_Lita?_

The mysterious woman continued to give him a blurred gaze, a look of uncertainty following with it. She removed her mask, allowing the stranger to see her in full. "My name is Rhoda… I do not know who you're talking about…"

"No," Randy spurted hysterically. "No…! You look exactly like her…! Tell me this is a joke…! You're joking right, Lita…?" His eyes were desperate—the sight of her was the only thing that kept him clinging onto his sanity at that point. He had woken up in a unknown environment, everything around him was destroyed, every corner filled with shadows. This had to be some sort of dream. He tried again, "Lita…?"

The woman shook her head once more. "I'm sorry…" She then slowly started reaching behind her back, her fingertips toying with the handle of the dagger she carried. "Get it over with," she told herself, still examining the man in front of her. This wasn't normal for her—to show mercy on his kind of case. The woman knew she had to kill him—to put him out of his misery. But, there was something odd about this one. The fact that he thought she bore some kind of remarkable resemblance to another woman—a woman with the name Lita. Her hand gradually began to retreat from the dagger, an apathetic sympathy playing out in her heart. Rhoda began to move towards the exit, deciding to walk away from it instead.

"Rhoda, you said…?" Randy called after her, taking a few steps in her direction. Whoever this woman was, she was the closest comfort he had, wherever he was. The last thing he wanted was to be alone again.

She nodded, ceasing her movement, the light from the outside now casting a shadowy silhouette.

"Where am I…?" he asked hopelessly, his voice filled with anxiety. The sound of his despair convinced the woman to turn back and answer him.

"Come with me and I'll show you."

* * *

**Final Notes**: If you haven't already figured it out, the beginning was a memory of Randy's when he first was betrayed by Evolution. The part where Rhoda debates on whether or not to kill him will be explained later, but you can sort of get a small hint. 

Thank again to everyone who reviewed the first entry! :)


	3. Nowhere Fast

**Title:** Searching For Friends  
**Rating:** M, for Mature  
**Disclaimer:** I own nothing you recognize.  
**Summary:** Everyone is gone…

_-Nowhere Fast-_

Rhoda led him outside into the streets and out of the ruined building, her sash waving gently behind her. The sky was absent of most sunlight, covered by the ominous gray-colored clouds that overtook it. Randy looked around, seeing a city that had been torn apart—buildings were on fire, the streets had been uplifted as if an earthquake had ruptured, people dressed only in rags were scrounging around for food—they're faces charred with dirt and grime. He noticed the dagger strapped to the back buckle of Rhoda's belt, the shiny metal glinting occasionally with her movement.

"What's the knife for…?" he asked curiously, trailing close behind her, making sure not to fall behind.

"Protection," she answered simply, continuing on her path.

"Protection from what?"

Rhoda paused suddenly, holding out her hand as a signal for him to do the same. Her hazel eyes performed a search of the area from left to right—wide with alertness. Something in her gut told her that they were being watched. "Stay alert," she advised him, beginning to move again. "We're probably not alone out here…"

"What's that supposed to mean?" Randy asked, now walking slightly backwards in order to watch his own back. Whatever she meant by that, he didn't like it one bit.

"Right now do as I say," she replied. "Ask questions later…"

It probably wouldn't be a good idea to argue with her, especially since she carried that dagger around, he thought, proceeding in following the redhead down to an alleyway just a bit further from where she had initially stopped. At any rate, Rhoda was his only guide in this new place… wherever he was at—it didn't matter. It was best not to say anything and just do as she told him.

"We're heading towards my hideout," she informed him as they moved through the alleyway. "There you can get you some food and clothing… you must be starving."

Randy could feel his stomach begin to growl slightly after she mentioned the word food. He hadn't thought about it since he'd woken up, his mind too occupied in confusion to think about it. He couldn't remember the last meal he'd had. "Thank you," he said appreciatively.

Rhoda nodded, pressing onward. Just as they were about to reach the end of the alley she halted again. "Stop," she whispered cautiously. Randy did as he was told, stopping immediately behind her, keeping an eye out on the territory. They both grew attentive at the faint sound of footsteps.

Rhoda quickly drew her weapon, holding it out in front of herself. "This could be trouble," she notified her companion. "Whatever happens, let me handle it—okay? Trust me on this one…"

The Legend Killer nodded quickly, still on guard. Both of them faced back to back, circling around each other, keeping a close eye on everything around them. The tension was growing thick, an overwhelming fear coming over Randy. Whatever was about to happen wasn't going to be pretty, he concluded, swallowing hard and breathing heavily.

Rhoda nudged him lightly, now aware of three shadowy figures advancing towards them from the end of the alleyway. Randy briskly turned in her direction, still staying closely behind.

The shaded forms kept making their advance and it was only until they were about three or four yards away that the redhead recognized their identities. She hurriedly dropped her weapon and held up her hands making a surrender. "Trust me," she whispered softly to him. "We're going nowhere fast…"

* * *

**Final Notes: **Ok, you won't find out what happend between Rhoda and Randy inside the building when she bgean reaching for her dagger until the next chapter. Sorry about that, change of plans. Alot more questions will be answered in the next chapter as well. Anyway, I hope you are enjoying it! :) 

And of course, thanks to all of those who reviewed the last chapter. Kori, you're the best, always giving me feedback. I truly appreciate that. :)


	4. Between Ordeals

**Title:** Searching For Friends  
**Rating:** M, for Mature  
**Disclaimer:** I own nothing you recognize.  
**Summary:** Everyone is gone…

_-Between Ordeals-_

It was a familiar sound to him—the sound of dripping water. The same sound that wakened him into this nightmare. The cell they were contained in leaked from the ceiling, tiny drops of cold water occasionally landing on his skin. They were taken there shortly after their capture by the three men they met in the alleyway. Sitting there in the enclosed space he wondered why she didn't resist—was it okay to trust her? He hardly even knew her—but he did what she asked anyway… Why? He looked over at her—she was waiting calmly in the opposite corner looking blankly through the steel bars. It still amazed him how she could look so much like Lita—he secretly hoped that at any moment she would confess it and tell him it was going to be okay...

_!!!  
_

_"_What were you thinking, you stupid idiot?"

The Legend Killer stared up at the redhead, his vision doubling from the beating he took. "Lita…?" He winced, feeling a rather painful sting from his lip. He'd admit, it was a little bold of him to go out and try to take on all of Evolution that night.

Lita sighed, dipping a cloth into the bowl of warm water she had beside her, then ringing it out gently. She proceeded in carefully cleaning some of the blood off his face with it before pressing it delicately onto his busted lip. "It's going to be okay…_"_

_!!!  
_

"Tell me about her."

Randy jolted, slightly startled out of thought by the sound of her voice. "Huh?"

"The girl," she clarified, now sitting with her knees up next to him, brushing a strand of gentle red hair away from her face. "You said her name was Lita…?"

He nodded timidly, still a little shaken from his memory lapse. "Y-Yeah…" It was a little awkward for him to be sitting so close to her, his mind still juggling the thought of her being Lita. "When I saw you… I thought you were her."

"You must have a million questions to ask."

"A million and one," he replied, now turning towards her. "Who were those guys? And why did you let them put us in here?"

"We call those men Suits," she answered, leaning her head back against the rough concrete wall. "They get that nickname from the blue suits they wear—it's their uniform. The Suits are very aggressive when provoked… I couldn't take them all on at the same time—not only because it would be too much for me to handle, but also because I couldn't let anything happen to you."

Randy sent her a quizzical look. "You were protecting me…?"

"I know this is going to sound strange," she continued, avoiding eye contact with him. "But my first intentions in that building where I found you… were to kill you."

At that moment, he could've been afraid of her—he should have been. But for some reason it didn't bother him. Maybe it was because they were both locked up in a prison cell and there really was no use distancing himself from her. Besides, there was still so much more he wanted to know—and she was his only source of information. "So… why didn't you, then?"

The redhead shrugged, dropping a knee. "I don't know… it was your story. I was hired by these guys to kill you—I'm an assassin. But when you looked at me—calling out to me the name of your friend, I just had a feeling that I should spare your life."

"So, the Suits were watching you to make sure you got the job done, right? And that's how you knew we were being watched out near the alley?"

She nodded. "Exactly. The Suits are all Geblers… Right now, we're being held in the Gebler precinct—where people are taken who do against their will—notice how I didn't say criminals. The leader of the Gebler forces is a man called Domino. I have never seen him before and neither have most people. I don't know why Gebler wanted you dead… but, that's what I'm trying to figure out now…"

"No offense," Randy said, standing up and walking to the steel bars, gripping them with his hands. "But, I don't think we'll find out much locked up in this cell…"

"Oh this little thing?" the redhead playfully asked, a smirk on her face. "This is only temporary…"

Their conversation was interrupted when the door to the cell room creaked open. A man in a hooded robe entered followed by two Gebler guards.

"What's going on?" Randy whispered to her, moving back to his original spot.

"We're about to find out our sentence…"

* * *

**Final Notes: **This chapter was used mainly to give everyone a small insight into what's going on. You now know that Rhoda was an assassin hired by the Gebler leader Domino to kill Randy Orton. Why are the Gebler interested in eliminating Orton? Stick around and read more to find out. On a side note, get ready for more familiar faces to begin making their appearances. Again, hope you enjoyed reading! Thanks to all who reviewed the last chapter. You know who you are! :) 


	5. Dead End

**Title:** Searching For Friends  
**Rating:** M, for Mature  
**Disclaimer:** I own nothing you recognize.  
**Summary:** Everyone is gone…

_-Dead End-_

He could feel sweat cold on his forehead, panic cold in his mind. Whatever fate awaited Randy, he just wished it would happen already. Ever since he'd woken up in this hellish nightmare, he'd not for one instance feel safe, not even after meeting Rhoda, whom he still slightly questioned in regard to her allegiance. After all, she had been sent into that building to kill him by Domino or Gebler, or whoever. The anticipation tore him apart, ripping him limb from limb. Who was behind that hood? Would there be more people in this world that were mimics of people he knew from his memories? He kept a careful eye on the hooded man as he began approaching the cell, his face disguised by the shadows to shield his identity. "Rhoda, you failed to complete your task," the man said, his moving mouth the only part of his face that was visible. He grinned, white teeth glinting under the hood, "I don't suppose you have a reason for that, do you?"

"Not a very good one… for an assassin," Rhoda replied casually, slowly picking herself up and moving closer to the steel bars. "What does Gebler want with him, anyway?" she queried, motioning her thumb back over her shoulder at Randy Orton.

"That's for me to know and you to find out," the hooded man responded back, snickering to himself.

The redhead leaned forward, grabbing onto the steel cage. "And how do you expect me to do that behind bars?" Rhoda quipped, her brows raised at the man expectantly.

She had a plan. Randy could sense it. It was the way she interacted with the hooded man that made him suspect something was up. It was the casualness in their conversation.

"Good point," the man answered back, now crossing his arms, his cloak draping over the side of his shoulders. He then swiftly swept his cape behind him, exposing the rest of the front of his body. This alerted both of the guards. They attempted to tackle him down, but the man quickly dodged both of them, proceeding in making quick work of the two, leaving them spilled onto the floor.

"You were a little early this time," Rhoda mentioned to him as he took a set of keys from one of the guards and unlocked the cell door.

"The early bird gets the worm," he responded, holding the door open for the two. He gave a short glance to Orton, "Hm. So, you're the one who is the center of all this fuss, eh?"

"This is Blank," Rhoda said, looking back at Randy. "You've probably already guessed, but this capture was all apart of a little plan."

"That's right," the hooded man, now known as Blank, said, nodding with a grin. "I'm sure we'll run into Bram soon… He was on my tail earlier before I disguised myself as a sentencer."

"Who's Bram?" Randy asked, now outside of the cell, joining his accomplices.

"A Suit," Blank answered him, now removing his hood.

Randy suddenly stood alertly upright, his eyes wide and staring at Blank, the familiarity beginning to sink into his memory. There was a great buzzing in his head like rushing water, memories floating in and out of his mind. A few faint images flashed through his mind and away like a dream, his memory clutching to put a name on this face…

"What's wrong?" Rhoda asked, surveying his expression.

"He looks like someone I know," Randy said, stepping a little closer to the man, inspecting him thoroughly. Yes, he was sure of it now. Blank resembled his old friend Jeff Hardy—it almost slipped his mind since he seldom saw him anymore.

Blank retreated a bit, confused by the way he was acting. "What is he talking about?"

"I don't know," Rhoda answered, a little confused herself about the event. "When I found him in Lab 21's ruins, he called me Lita. The Gebler forces want him dead… It only makes me wonder more what the reason for that is… His memories…?"

Randy said nothing, quietly contemplating to himself instead. This couldn't be a series of random coincidences. Lita, and now Jeff? There was no telling what this could all mean. It was then that he decided he would stick around until he made sense of it all. "I don't know what's going on," he said, exchanging glances between his two companions. "But, I want to know more…"

"We all want to know more," Rhoda said, reaching out and touching his arm gently. "But, first we need to force our way out of here… Can we escape the same way you came in, Blank?"

"Pretty positive," Blank said in return, already heading for the exit. "Come on," he urged, looking back at Rhoda and Randy. "Time's a wastin'."

The two nodded, then quickly followed him out of the cell room. No sooner did they leave the room, were they greeted by a large man in a blue suit, blocking their path. "End of the line," he said standing before the group.

This person was also familiar to Randy. It was Batista.

* * *

**Final Notes: **Little by little more and more is revealed. But, now we have Blank (Jeff Hardy) joining the group. Just as soon as they escape from the cell room, they encounter a Suit (which is Bram, also known to Randy as Batista). What's in store for them in the next chapter? Read more and find out! Hope you enjoyed it! :) 

Thanks to all who reviewed chapter four. I only got two reviews on that one. :( Lol. Next chapter will be up hopefully in a day or two. Keep 'em coming! :)


	6. Rivals

**Title:** Searching For Friends  
**Rating:** M, for Mature  
**Disclaimer:** I own nothing you recognize.  
**Summary:** Everyone is gone…

_-Rivals-_

_Huff… pant… wheeze… _

They'd been running down what seemed like a citadel of twists and turns, every corner they turned leading into another hallway—and then the next looking exactly as the one before. Randy's mind wouldn't release the thought of Rhoda staying behind with that Bram guy—_this is probably another one of her plans… she'll be okay. _Blank stepped quickly in front of him, always checking carefully around corners to see if the coast was cleared. This wasn't the way he had come in from and since Bram decided to show up and block the only path he knew out, he was going to have to detour and find another exit route.

A overwhelming feeling of exhaustion fell over Blank; he slowed suddenly; stopped; then bent over a bit to catch his breath. "These halls all look exactly the same…" he grieved miserably. He noticed a concerned expression on the face of his companion as the words fell out of his mouth. "Hey," he called to him, with a grin in attempt to lift his spirits. "This place ain't that big… we'll find our way out of here in no time, just you see."

"What about… Rhoda?" Randy asked between breaths, wiping the sweat away from his forehead. "Why did we just leave her alone with that guy?"

Blank shook his head. "Don't worry about her, man. She's a lot more capable of taking care of herself than you might think."

"But that guy was huge…!" he protested. "What if he really hurts her?"

"Yeah," Blank said in return. "But, he won't lay a finger on her—you just got to trust me on this one. Rhoda and Bram have a strange past together… so when they encounter one another it's kind of a unspoken truce between them. If it was an ambush, the other Suits would've been on us already. All she's doing right now is trying to squeeze as much information out of him as she can. That'll be helpful to us in trying to figure out why Gebler wants you dead and how you ended up here in the first place."

_A strange past? What did he mean by that? _He had to stop comparing this woman to the Lita he knew. They were two completely different people, and he'd have to let go of that feeling for a while. That is, until he knew more. "I know you still have a lot of questions," Blank started again, now leaning up against the wall of the corridor. "Once we get back to our hideout we'll fill you in on as much as we can… For now though, we have to get out of here…"

Randy slowly nodded, a slight bit of determination beginning to surface in his expression. "Alright, let's get moving, then."

_Meanwhile… _

Bram removed his dusky-colored shades, placing them in his left coat pocket, his dark eyes meeting with the redhead's hazel orbs. He'd started off as her ally before betraying her and becoming the leader of Gebler's so called Secret Police, the Suits. Their truce was based solely on the fact that they both acknowledged from the past an underlying feeling of love. Yes, deep down inside her gut, she still had feelings for him and vice versa. However, they would set aside those feelings without hesitation if the situation called for it.

"I believe you have something of mine," she finally said, expressionless. She tried her best not to show any signs of weakness to him. It was hard, but she could manage it if she tried hard enough, which in this case she was trying really hard.

"Is that any way to say hello to a old friend?" he asked, a rather smug look on his face.

"An old friend?" Rhoda replied, disbelief coating her voice. "You back-stabbed me to join Gebler and you still have the nerve to say that? Go to hell, Bram…"

The man chuckled softly. "Oh, come on… we're still friends."

"I believe you have something of mine," the redhead repeated, this time her tone more forceful. She was growing impatient with him—Bram never failed to try and find a way to annoy her.

He rolled his eyes before reaching behind his back and pulling out the dagger she'd forfeited back in the alleyway. He extended it to her, a playful smile broadening ear-to-ear. "Go ahead, take it."

Rhoda instinctively stepped forward and reached for it—she could feel it almost in her grasp.

Bram quickly pulled back, the dagger retreating from her grasp. "Not so fast…" he said, the same smile playing on his face. "What do you say…?"

The redhead sighed, her frustrations beginning to boil. He was playing with her and she absolutely abhorred him for that. "I'm not saying thank you or please, so cut your crap and hand it over…" If anyone knew how to get under her skin, it was him. The redhead was growing more and more impatient by the second. When he didn't do as she requested immediately she yelled, "Right now, Bram!"

"Catch," he replied, tossing the dagger at her lightly.

She caught it and hastily put it away. "…Thanks."

Bram only stood there and smiled. "Your welcome. Now get out of—."

"Wait," she said abruptly, cutting him off. "What does Gebler want with him? Why do you want him dead?"

"I can't say," Bram responded, reaching back into his pocket and covering his dark eyes with his sunglasses. "That was all Domino. If you want to find out more, you'd have to go ask him yourself… and that would mean…"

"I get the point," Rhoda said, already turning her back on him and walking away. "We'll see each other again soon, then."

* * *

**Final Notes: **Sorry this one took so long, I've been super busy with stupid things! Urgh. Lol. Anyway, I hope you enjoy this chapter. Oh, and how about Stacy Keibler kissing Randy Orton on RAW this week! Lol. Anyway, toodles!  



End file.
